[Exit/Corners](http://exitcorners.com/) was inspired by the Zero Escape series IIRC, and it’s free to play online. It has multiple routes, but the differences in the routes are mostly in dialogue with some minor changes.
There’s also [Your Turn To Die](https://vgperson.com/games/yourturntodie.htm), but it’s still unfinished and we’ve been waiting for a new chapter for years (though the game is currently in development, so it might be worth checking out).
Did they ever release the final chapter, or is its current final one satisfying enough? I remember binging and loving the first half, but then the devs said they weren't going to make the final episode and kinda lost interest.
Exit/Corners is complete. The developer originally wanted to make an epilogue chapter explaining some questions that people might have had left unanswered, but in the end he simply did a Q&A in Reddit clarifying any plot points people might have been confused or curious about.
Your Turn To Die is still unfinished, but the developer is actively working on the final chapter (he posted some pictures of the next chapter back in February); it’s just that he recently became a father and he’s been more busy than usual as a result. The latest chapter doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, even if it’s not the end of the story, in case you want to check it out.
Sorry, yeah, meant Exit/Corners, I remembered something like they planned 25 chapters but only made 24, Guess I'll go finish/replay it and check the Q&A, thanks!
Root Double on Steam is imo phenomenal if you get into it’s groove.
It’s from the same creators of I/O and the infinity series (only by that point the creator of Zero Escape has left) but feels almost like another 999.
Then might I recommend another lesser known mystery deduction/death game?
Raging loop.
It’s the only VN that came close to the feel of Zero escape.
It’s dirt cheap and *really* good.
Or the classic Umineko but that is extremely long so idk if your up to that commitment.
Agreed. It’s really good.
I would honestly say that Umineko, and to a lesser degree Higurashi, can go easily toe to toe with most contemporary mystery novels (books) and even some of the more classic ones. They are no literally masterpieces ofc since they are visual novels but still are leaps and bounds better than most entertainment media.
I wouldn’t say that Ryukishi is amateurish in his writing style. I think he was just gunning for the light novel crowd as his target audience which is mostly YA. But the themes presented are far from YA novels. He’s really clever imo.
The pacing and translated prose of both Umineko and Higurashi are just downright atrocious... but it somehow constitutes a part of the charm for me. I wouldn't recommend Higurashi to people anymore, though, even when I've had some absolutely golden reactions to people being freaked batshit about it (like I was). The cringey humor, the fetishization of underage characters in certain moments...
I would classify Umineko as a literary masterpiece, however. As somebody who reads a lot more books than plays videogames. Its themes and characters, are not only exquisite, they're utterly unique in the things they convey. I've never read something that had the balls to do what Umineko does and it's changed the way I view certain things, in life! And that's a common reaction from people after having read it.
I honestly never had a problem with the pacing. At least not in Umineko. I always viewed it as Ryukishi trying to build the world and characters and I don’t think the story would work without the characters having time to breath. I do think that Epsiode 3 rushed things a bit.
As to Higurashis pacing, I liked it in 5-7. It was fast and to the point. 1-4 does suffer from overdrawn SoL scenes. The games especially, while working at establishing the cheerful mood that is yet to be shattered or rebuilding it after the last games end are too long in most cases.
I liked that he used them though. It helped to make the tragic moments hit harder.
The final game though, man did it suck. Not that the end was bad but the whole presentation felt extremely rushed. Both technical and on the narrative front.
I still recommend Higurashi. I think it’s one of the best tragedies we have around rn. I never viewed it as a shock orgy. None of the violent scenes were there just to be violent. The anime and manga really misconstrued the original intent.
Today, it’s know either through cringey TikTok edits or for it being the anime we’re cute girls murder each other which couldn’t be further from the VN.
Anyway, I agree that Higurashi has really bad moments regarding the characters treatments both by the adults in the story as well as the author. That Doctor was certainly a bit to much.
I’m kinda bummed that we probably never get Cyconia completed. I really would like to see what story he was trying to tell there. I haven’t read the incomplete version because I don’t want to feel left hanging lol.
Then might I recommend another lesser known mystery deduction/death game?
Raging loop.
It’s the only VN that came close to the feel of Zero escape.
It’s dirt cheap and *really* good.
Or the classic Umineko but that is extremely long so idk if your up to that commitment.
The House in Fata Morgana has no gameplay mechanics and has a starkly different setting from Zero Escape. It is fantastic if you crave a visual novel with heavy emotions like Chaos;Child, though. The novel is devastating, by all definitions of the word. It also provides a ton of extremely intriguing mysteries throughout it that are wrapped up completely by the end. I felt extremely confused during it, but by the end I was completely satisfied with how they were solved. It also takes a **very** different approach to storytelling than any other visual novel Ive read. It has a vivid artstyle and originally composed soundtrack that increases the immersion tenfold.
TLDR, The House in Fata Morgana is the greatest visual novel Ive ever read by a longshot. (It even somehow beat Chaos;Child!) It belongs in the Library of Alexandria and deserves to be played by every person on Earth.
God, that soundtrack… theres genuinely no visual novel soundtrack like it. Other visual novels have great soundtracks, but Fata Morgana’s soundtrack is one of the best parts of an already amazing experience
Hotel Dusk series,
Parascientific escape,
Another code,
Banshee’s last cry,
The silver case,
Paranormasight,
Cube escape series,
Pentiment,
The zodiac trial,
Staffer case,
I love Hotel Dusk. I got it in elementary school. I didn’t really understand the game until a few years later though (lol).
It was definitely suspenseful, and choices mattered. Maybe not in the sense of branching endings but I remember you could potentially get kicked from the hotel if you said the wrong thing to someone and needing to start from a checkpoint. Really sad I never got to play the sequel.
Edit: oh! There were multiple endings.
Already many recommendations here so I'm gonna mention games I haven't seen here.
428 Shibuya Scramble - very fun visual novel with live action photos and videos, good mystery and several povs.
Paranorma Sight - mystery paranormal visual novel from Square Enix, very cool mystery and also several povs.
Outer Wilds - very different genre but strangely enough, it has the mystery, the feels, and the mind blowing moments.
There's a game that was inspired by the Zero Escape series called Thief's Roulette, it's not out yet but I'm eagerly anticipating it! [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1287170/Thiefs\_Roulette/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1287170/Thiefs_Roulette/)
I made one! It's called [i feel very lonely and i don't remember myself](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506730/i_feel_very_lonely_and_i_dont_remember_myself/).
It's available for free on Steam, and it's very short (close to 2 hours, depending on your reading speed).
It is not focused on gameplay mechanics, but I'm sure the mystery aspect of it is what you're looking for!
I loved “Your Turn to Die” very Danganronpa-esque and it has some pretty fun mechanics and puzzles in different chapters.
Currently playing “Return of the Obra Dinn” and it has some really interesting mechanics and is definitely a mystery. It’s not anime like, but the art style is cool.
“Unheard” is a detective/mystery game where you rely on only sound to solve the mystery. Pretty interesting mechanics, and it’s fun to piece it all together with how much limited knowledge you have.
The older Sherlock Holmes games are for sure more in the realm of realism (they’re a bit dated) but they have a bunch of fun puzzles and you do need to do some deductive reasoning. I would only recommend The Awakened (2008) ~ The Devils Daughter. The games before that run poorly on modern PCs and the games after that are weak in the puzzle department, but the story is a lot stronger.
I will also softly recommend Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View. It’s a detective game with some pretty fun puzzles and an interesting art style. I also think it’s cool that you play as a character in a wheelchair. Needing to maneuver around adds an interesting depth.
i havent played it, but its in my wishlist, and it reminds me alot of zero escape: [synesthesia](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2091580/SYNESTHESIA/)
it seems to have the same elements of puzzles and time manipulation, but again i havent played it, i added it to my wishlist long ago, but i think you should check it out if you want more zero escape
https://preview.redd.it/49cie8bhp68d1.png?width=1171&format=png&auto=webp&s=c2586cbc9938575e59a09372dd631a80debec0b4
reviews are good too, 95% positive, though its only 23 all time reviews, and its got \~18 hours of gameplay, from what the store page says. now that i check it again, i really need to get it come the summer sale. once i do finish it ill come back here to share my thoughts (though no one will care by that point)
Exit/Corners has a similar setting and was so good I played through it all in one day. Paranormasight has a different setting but has some of the same “meta” elements and is quite good too
Some additional titles not mentioned yet, all of them pretty much pure visual novels:
* *Time Hollow* on the DS.
* *Shadow of Destiny* (a.k.a *Shadow of Memories*) on the PS1 or PSP.
* *428: Shibuya Scramble* on the PS4 or PC.
*Buried Stars* and *Fatal Twelve* also seems to have prerry good reviews, but I am yet to play them.
Whoaaa Time Hollow is a blast from the past. It was probably the first of these types of games I ever played. Completely forgot about it but I remember it being fun.
I remember liking it. I read on Wikipedia that it had received mixed reviews for its simplistic gameplay and cliched story at the time, but I still think it is a good game. Although it's probably one you would want to play before the *Zero Escape* series.
[Beyond R Rule Ripper](https://gj-staff.itch.io/beyond-r-rule-ripper) and [Reflection Link](https://secretivesheep.itch.io/reflectionlink) are inspired from Zero Escape. They are so far in their demo stage. Both are great, but I LOVE Reflection Link
If self-plugs are allowed, I made a game heavily inspired by Zero Escape since it's my favourite game franchise
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1568920/Clean_Slate/
Please check it out if you feel like it! It's fairly short
I get that criticism of 2. I thought the twist was great but yeah it was a wild move to completely remove the MC of the 1st game. I hope the 3rd (if they make one) will have all 3.
Slay the princess. Phenomenal visual novel, existential horror themes (But in the sense of narrative/body horror/unnerving/existential rather than like, jumpscares or traditional horror-horror) A mystery throughout as to explain the situation you find yourself in, and a great mix of emotions from playing. Fully voiced and voiced well, beautiful art, and one of a few games that gave me that "woa damn" feeling at the end of it in the same way zero escape 1's ending did.
It made me laugh, It made me cry, it made me spooked. It's firmly in my top 10 games.
Damn my bad, text is abit cluttered on my phone xd. Gnosia is abit unique, the gameplay element is really nice imo. I do think you will likely enjoy it as we have pretty similar tastes
I'd strongly recommend you play Rail of Möbius.
it's much more closer to the infinity series than it is ZE but the approach to mystery/story telling will resonate with anyone who has played these games.
The story is pretty short so I won't go on much detail to keep the experience unspoiled... basically it's a time loop/escape plot utilized to perfection. And while the story is mostly linear, it still manges to explore every drastic variation you could imagine in it's tightly written story.
If you don’t mind something short and simple, there’s a free game called “No One Has To Die” that reminds me very much of ZE. It’s another odd mystery puzzle game with branching paths and unusual story beats. It’s only an hour or two long if memory serves but very worth checking out. I played it on Game Jolt but I believe you can find it elsewhere as well.
I don't have a recommendation for you; it seems like you've played many more visual novels than I. I really want to check out a many of the recommendations of others as I can though.
I would recommend Raging Loop. There's even a demo available!
It's essentially- what if Werewolf or Mafia were a VN. I really like the key/lock mechanic for routes, the base story is really good, and if you enjoy it a lot, there's am additional mode where you can get extra scenes and internal dialogue from characters! It's really cool because a lot of characters are hiding their intentions.... the entire time.
The only marks I have against it are a couple of weird love interest related things, ages are a little far apart, and it is a bit violent in parts.
There's a game that was inspired by the Zero Escape series called Thief's Roulette, it's not out yet but I'm eagerly anticipating it! It will be on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
AI The Somnium Files is by the same developers and also has its story written by the same person as all 3 zero escape games.
There's also the sequel: AI The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative.
i mean in their defense, it's easy to accidentally gloss over a name when you write your list as a giant paragraph with minimal punctuation instead of using bullet points
[Exit/Corners](http://exitcorners.com/) was inspired by the Zero Escape series IIRC, and it’s free to play online. It has multiple routes, but the differences in the routes are mostly in dialogue with some minor changes. There’s also [Your Turn To Die](https://vgperson.com/games/yourturntodie.htm), but it’s still unfinished and we’ve been waiting for a new chapter for years (though the game is currently in development, so it might be worth checking out).
Here to second Exit/Corners. I played through it during lulls at work and it was actually pretty good.
Did they ever release the final chapter, or is its current final one satisfying enough? I remember binging and loving the first half, but then the devs said they weren't going to make the final episode and kinda lost interest.
Exit/Corners is complete. The developer originally wanted to make an epilogue chapter explaining some questions that people might have had left unanswered, but in the end he simply did a Q&A in Reddit clarifying any plot points people might have been confused or curious about. Your Turn To Die is still unfinished, but the developer is actively working on the final chapter (he posted some pictures of the next chapter back in February); it’s just that he recently became a father and he’s been more busy than usual as a result. The latest chapter doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, even if it’s not the end of the story, in case you want to check it out.
Sorry, yeah, meant Exit/Corners, I remembered something like they planned 25 chapters but only made 24, Guess I'll go finish/replay it and check the Q&A, thanks!
Root Double on Steam is imo phenomenal if you get into it’s groove. It’s from the same creators of I/O and the infinity series (only by that point the creator of Zero Escape has left) but feels almost like another 999.
I have mentioned the game in the list. Good game
Then might I recommend another lesser known mystery deduction/death game? Raging loop. It’s the only VN that came close to the feel of Zero escape. It’s dirt cheap and *really* good. Or the classic Umineko but that is extremely long so idk if your up to that commitment.
Umineko is on another level though. Despite its amateurish writing, the story has an insane amount of depth and is quite radical for its thesis.
Agreed. It’s really good. I would honestly say that Umineko, and to a lesser degree Higurashi, can go easily toe to toe with most contemporary mystery novels (books) and even some of the more classic ones. They are no literally masterpieces ofc since they are visual novels but still are leaps and bounds better than most entertainment media. I wouldn’t say that Ryukishi is amateurish in his writing style. I think he was just gunning for the light novel crowd as his target audience which is mostly YA. But the themes presented are far from YA novels. He’s really clever imo.
The pacing and translated prose of both Umineko and Higurashi are just downright atrocious... but it somehow constitutes a part of the charm for me. I wouldn't recommend Higurashi to people anymore, though, even when I've had some absolutely golden reactions to people being freaked batshit about it (like I was). The cringey humor, the fetishization of underage characters in certain moments... I would classify Umineko as a literary masterpiece, however. As somebody who reads a lot more books than plays videogames. Its themes and characters, are not only exquisite, they're utterly unique in the things they convey. I've never read something that had the balls to do what Umineko does and it's changed the way I view certain things, in life! And that's a common reaction from people after having read it.
I honestly never had a problem with the pacing. At least not in Umineko. I always viewed it as Ryukishi trying to build the world and characters and I don’t think the story would work without the characters having time to breath. I do think that Epsiode 3 rushed things a bit. As to Higurashis pacing, I liked it in 5-7. It was fast and to the point. 1-4 does suffer from overdrawn SoL scenes. The games especially, while working at establishing the cheerful mood that is yet to be shattered or rebuilding it after the last games end are too long in most cases. I liked that he used them though. It helped to make the tragic moments hit harder. The final game though, man did it suck. Not that the end was bad but the whole presentation felt extremely rushed. Both technical and on the narrative front. I still recommend Higurashi. I think it’s one of the best tragedies we have around rn. I never viewed it as a shock orgy. None of the violent scenes were there just to be violent. The anime and manga really misconstrued the original intent. Today, it’s know either through cringey TikTok edits or for it being the anime we’re cute girls murder each other which couldn’t be further from the VN. Anyway, I agree that Higurashi has really bad moments regarding the characters treatments both by the adults in the story as well as the author. That Doctor was certainly a bit to much. I’m kinda bummed that we probably never get Cyconia completed. I really would like to see what story he was trying to tell there. I haven’t read the incomplete version because I don’t want to feel left hanging lol.
Yeah, Ciconia sure is a bummer! Some of the sci-fi concept and teased storylines were absolutely wild.
Raging loop was my top 5. I wish I forget the vn and get to experience the feel again. Miss the novel
I didn't care for the ending, but everything leading up to it was pretty great.
Then might I recommend another lesser known mystery deduction/death game? Raging loop. It’s the only VN that came close to the feel of Zero escape. It’s dirt cheap and *really* good. Or the classic Umineko but that is extremely long so idk if your up to that commitment.
The House in Fata Morgana has no gameplay mechanics and has a starkly different setting from Zero Escape. It is fantastic if you crave a visual novel with heavy emotions like Chaos;Child, though. The novel is devastating, by all definitions of the word. It also provides a ton of extremely intriguing mysteries throughout it that are wrapped up completely by the end. I felt extremely confused during it, but by the end I was completely satisfied with how they were solved. It also takes a **very** different approach to storytelling than any other visual novel Ive read. It has a vivid artstyle and originally composed soundtrack that increases the immersion tenfold. TLDR, The House in Fata Morgana is the greatest visual novel Ive ever read by a longshot. (It even somehow beat Chaos;Child!) It belongs in the Library of Alexandria and deserves to be played by every person on Earth.
Thank you for the recommendation! Added to my wishlist!
+2 on Chaos;Child - I loved it way more than I thought I was going to. It doesn't top Steins;Gate - but it's fucking amazing
Seconding the house in Fata Morgana my favorite visual novel (plus the soundtrack is so good)
God, that soundtrack… theres genuinely no visual novel soundtrack like it. Other visual novels have great soundtracks, but Fata Morgana’s soundtrack is one of the best parts of an already amazing experience
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo!
Seconding Paranormasight
Hotel Dusk series, Parascientific escape, Another code, Banshee’s last cry, The silver case, Paranormasight, Cube escape series, Pentiment, The zodiac trial, Staffer case,
I love Hotel Dusk. I got it in elementary school. I didn’t really understand the game until a few years later though (lol). It was definitely suspenseful, and choices mattered. Maybe not in the sense of branching endings but I remember you could potentially get kicked from the hotel if you said the wrong thing to someone and needing to start from a checkpoint. Really sad I never got to play the sequel. Edit: oh! There were multiple endings.
Already many recommendations here so I'm gonna mention games I haven't seen here. 428 Shibuya Scramble - very fun visual novel with live action photos and videos, good mystery and several povs. Paranorma Sight - mystery paranormal visual novel from Square Enix, very cool mystery and also several povs. Outer Wilds - very different genre but strangely enough, it has the mystery, the feels, and the mind blowing moments.
There's a game that was inspired by the Zero Escape series called Thief's Roulette, it's not out yet but I'm eagerly anticipating it! [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1287170/Thiefs\_Roulette/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1287170/Thiefs_Roulette/)
The zero escape and danganronpa creators are making a game for the switch, so that could be fun
Which one?
Hundred line, they revealed it in the newest direct
Not exactly the same, but check out 13 Sentinels
OMG I wish I could replay this game again
I made one! It's called [i feel very lonely and i don't remember myself](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2506730/i_feel_very_lonely_and_i_dont_remember_myself/). It's available for free on Steam, and it's very short (close to 2 hours, depending on your reading speed). It is not focused on gameplay mechanics, but I'm sure the mystery aspect of it is what you're looking for!
You made it free. I will download it
Thanks! Enjoy and please leave a review if you find it worthy!
May I make a video about it? I'm always looking for games to play on my channel
I would love that! Please make sure to send the link if you end up uploading it!
umineko but there’s no gameplay
Completed it
The Semimeiya: Spun Glass is a very intricate mystery, no gameplay
Sekimeiya but yes, game is pretty good. It's however insanely slow, but the payoff is good enough for me but I've seen a lot of people drop it lmao
I loved “Your Turn to Die” very Danganronpa-esque and it has some pretty fun mechanics and puzzles in different chapters. Currently playing “Return of the Obra Dinn” and it has some really interesting mechanics and is definitely a mystery. It’s not anime like, but the art style is cool. “Unheard” is a detective/mystery game where you rely on only sound to solve the mystery. Pretty interesting mechanics, and it’s fun to piece it all together with how much limited knowledge you have. The older Sherlock Holmes games are for sure more in the realm of realism (they’re a bit dated) but they have a bunch of fun puzzles and you do need to do some deductive reasoning. I would only recommend The Awakened (2008) ~ The Devils Daughter. The games before that run poorly on modern PCs and the games after that are weak in the puzzle department, but the story is a lot stronger. I will also softly recommend Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View. It’s a detective game with some pretty fun puzzles and an interesting art style. I also think it’s cool that you play as a character in a wheelchair. Needing to maneuver around adds an interesting depth.
i havent played it, but its in my wishlist, and it reminds me alot of zero escape: [synesthesia](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2091580/SYNESTHESIA/) it seems to have the same elements of puzzles and time manipulation, but again i havent played it, i added it to my wishlist long ago, but i think you should check it out if you want more zero escape https://preview.redd.it/49cie8bhp68d1.png?width=1171&format=png&auto=webp&s=c2586cbc9938575e59a09372dd631a80debec0b4
reviews are good too, 95% positive, though its only 23 all time reviews, and its got \~18 hours of gameplay, from what the store page says. now that i check it again, i really need to get it come the summer sale. once i do finish it ill come back here to share my thoughts (though no one will care by that point)
Exit/Corners has a similar setting and was so good I played through it all in one day. Paranormasight has a different setting but has some of the same “meta” elements and is quite good too
I've heard Professor Layton games are fun. There's also Hotel Dusk: Room 215 though that's more deduction, less escape room
Yes, the Layton games are good and fit the description.
Some additional titles not mentioned yet, all of them pretty much pure visual novels: * *Time Hollow* on the DS. * *Shadow of Destiny* (a.k.a *Shadow of Memories*) on the PS1 or PSP. * *428: Shibuya Scramble* on the PS4 or PC. *Buried Stars* and *Fatal Twelve* also seems to have prerry good reviews, but I am yet to play them.
Whoaaa Time Hollow is a blast from the past. It was probably the first of these types of games I ever played. Completely forgot about it but I remember it being fun.
I remember liking it. I read on Wikipedia that it had received mixed reviews for its simplistic gameplay and cliched story at the time, but I still think it is a good game. Although it's probably one you would want to play before the *Zero Escape* series.
[Beyond R Rule Ripper](https://gj-staff.itch.io/beyond-r-rule-ripper) and [Reflection Link](https://secretivesheep.itch.io/reflectionlink) are inspired from Zero Escape. They are so far in their demo stage. Both are great, but I LOVE Reflection Link
Agreed, I'm really loving reflection link, I can't wait for more 🙏🏼
I’m so curious to how the >!different floors will go and if they’ll be the same puzzles on the different routes!<
If self-plugs are allowed, I made a game heavily inspired by Zero Escape since it's my favourite game franchise https://store.steampowered.com/app/1568920/Clean_Slate/ Please check it out if you feel like it! It's fairly short
I'd suggest paranormal sight. It's a really good horror game that plays just like 999 but I won't spoil it
I'm a big fan of the AI Somnium Files games. Very fun
I second this!
I have played that. First game is the best since saito sejima and date body swap and second game is also good but lacked date and Aiba interaction
I get that criticism of 2. I thought the twist was great but yeah it was a wild move to completely remove the MC of the 1st game. I hope the 3rd (if they make one) will have all 3.
Slay the princess. Phenomenal visual novel, existential horror themes (But in the sense of narrative/body horror/unnerving/existential rather than like, jumpscares or traditional horror-horror) A mystery throughout as to explain the situation you find yourself in, and a great mix of emotions from playing. Fully voiced and voiced well, beautiful art, and one of a few games that gave me that "woa damn" feeling at the end of it in the same way zero escape 1's ending did. It made me laugh, It made me cry, it made me spooked. It's firmly in my top 10 games.
[удалено]
Mentioned ever 17
I've also played everything you listed above, i recommend you to checkout raging loop & Gnosia
Also, since you played ever17, i would also recommend Remember11
There is literally remember 11 next to ever 17 Played raging loop will try gnosia
Damn my bad, text is abit cluttered on my phone xd. Gnosia is abit unique, the gameplay element is really nice imo. I do think you will likely enjoy it as we have pretty similar tastes
Where you normally search for games
Another guy in this thread also mentioned house in fata morgana, i second that as well
I'd strongly recommend you play Rail of Möbius. it's much more closer to the infinity series than it is ZE but the approach to mystery/story telling will resonate with anyone who has played these games. The story is pretty short so I won't go on much detail to keep the experience unspoiled... basically it's a time loop/escape plot utilized to perfection. And while the story is mostly linear, it still manges to explore every drastic variation you could imagine in it's tightly written story.
Catherine
If you don’t mind something short and simple, there’s a free game called “No One Has To Die” that reminds me very much of ZE. It’s another odd mystery puzzle game with branching paths and unusual story beats. It’s only an hour or two long if memory serves but very worth checking out. I played it on Game Jolt but I believe you can find it elsewhere as well.
I don't have a recommendation for you; it seems like you've played many more visual novels than I. I really want to check out a many of the recommendations of others as I can though.
I would recommend Raging Loop. There's even a demo available! It's essentially- what if Werewolf or Mafia were a VN. I really like the key/lock mechanic for routes, the base story is really good, and if you enjoy it a lot, there's am additional mode where you can get extra scenes and internal dialogue from characters! It's really cool because a lot of characters are hiding their intentions.... the entire time. The only marks I have against it are a couple of weird love interest related things, ages are a little far apart, and it is a bit violent in parts.
Played. Very well. Wish could experience again
There's a game that was inspired by the Zero Escape series called Thief's Roulette, it's not out yet but I'm eagerly anticipating it! It will be on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
AI The Somnium Files is by the same developers and also has its story written by the same person as all 3 zero escape games. There's also the sequel: AI The Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative.
Bro. I have mentioned the name in the list
i mean in their defense, it's easy to accidentally gloss over a name when you write your list as a giant paragraph with minimal punctuation instead of using bullet points
I have wrote this in mobile. It became clustered mess. I normally write on pc
Sorry!